So, we live in our bus full time. It's our house. I use my computer inside my bus to take IT support calls and make money from them. Am I commercial? Are you kidding me? This whole thing has everything to do with revenue for the state and absolutely zero to do with common sense.

I looked at my ownership ( title ) last night and as it was put by the ministry of transport M C I 102c motor home . My insurance has the same name , is insured as a private motor home . So I guess its not a bus anymore dave

Scott you bet you are. It also comes into play if you take ANY business deductions such as electric gas or maintanance on your coach. Registration tires etc. If it helps you in anyway make a wage or living.If I was to have rentals in another state and took the bus to live in while fixing them up.Then took a deduction for my fuel to get there.I would then become commercial even though the coach was not being used to haul anything to the site except me.Dave5Cs from Galaxy S III

Let's take the words bus or coach or motorhome out of the conversation and insert the word car, which also happens to be privately owned and registered in your name. If you drive anywhere in your car in the course of your business or employment and take the allowable deductions it still does not make your car a commercial vehicle, so if that is correct how is it possible to change the rules just because our motorhome (coach, conversion, bus) is used in the exact same manner?

Does anyone seriously believe a traffic cop or DOT inspector is going to ask to see our tax return? And so what? I have deducted bus expenses when we used it to go to trade shows, just like I would if I was using my car. I use my bus so I don't have to use a hotel, or so I can have my own bed, coffee and toilet. Hardly a commercial reason.

I think the bottom line is if you put a company name on you motorhome, or tell a cop you are on a business trip or you tell the cop it is nothing more than you home on wheels you can expect to put yourself in the position of trying to convince someone it is not a commercial vehicle. The best way to deal with officials is to say as little as you can and think before you say anything. The more you say the more likely you are digging yourself a hole.

This seems to have gotten out of proportion and off track? Subject: Weigh the bus?

Maybe some of you should start another thread about common sense, legally commercial buses, and what not to say catchwords.

back to weighing the bus. so what happens at a scale in IA when i'm not commercial, but I am over my load plate gvw, for example purposes only, by about 2000, and on the rear dual axle. since i'm not selling anything, do I just drive on?

Logged

Tom 1991 Eagle 15 and proud of it.8V92T, 740, Fulltime working on the road.

Just to be clear, our setup is titled as an RV, it is privately owned, and it did not have the name of any business on it (now it does, with our DOT number). We try to stay inside the law as much as we possibly can (lol, who fights the law and wins? not...). Not to mention, there is personal beliefs that cause us to try to abide by the law.

We asked the local DMV, and they said don't worry about it. You are a private RV. RickB posted his situation, and that caused us to dig a lot deeper into this. Of course, going commercial is not popular and is not nice. Each person can justify why they think they should or shouldn't be commercial. That is fine. However, when you are sitting on the side of the road, with a cop parked behind you, that is not the time to get educated. Vehicles have been impounded for much less. Is it really worth the risk of losing your bus and facing heavy fines? I really don't care about explanations about how somebody isn't commercial. Whatever... The question is, have you done the research yourself? Have you called the highway patrol? Have you talked to the really high ups at the DMV? Ideas and justifications don't matter at all. What does the law say? Do your own research, not just what you read online.

FWIW

Back on topic....(sorry for the thread drift, but it really all works together). We weigh about 45K, depending on how full our tanks are.

Let's take the words bus or coach or motorhome out of the conversation and insert the word car, which also happens to be privately owned and registered in your name.If you drive anywhere in your car in the course of your business or employment and take the allowable deductions it still does not make your car a commercial vehicle, so if that is correct how is it possible to change the rules just because our motorhome (coach, conversion, bus) is used in the exact same manner? The more you say the more likely you are digging yourself a hole.

My Freightliner 15 yard dump truck does weigh in excess of 10,000 but since I never do anything with it other than for my own personal purposes (mulch, compost, etc) I was told by DOT of TN to register it as a farm vehicle and I did not need a CDL or have a need to cross the scales.

I personally verified that at the Nashville DOT as well as calling the nearest scale house and talking to a trooper there and the story was the same.

Have a small 100 acre farm here. Haul my own equipment/hay/cattle and whatever. Have been told different rules on my farm tagged trucks. Some (DPS Offices) say I need a non Commercial CDL and some say no. Yes I carry an Ag Registered card. They say the same on my Texas Titled Prevost Motorhome. 42,000 lbs on title. Had one tell me at a coffee shop down Galveston Tx. way, as long as I had Private Coach tag mounted by door, No Problem. Go figure with the dps not knowing there rules.

That shows the difference between states. I believe TX requires a CDL for vehicles above 26,000, but for my 53,000 pound coach or the dump truck used non commercially a regular car driver license is all that is required.

I have a Class A CDL and current medical so the driver license requirements are not a concern

I have no personal monetary interest in this outfit but for a little over $4, you can have your very own copy.

This is the top rated authority for most Operators. It is easily understood. I have issued a lot of them when I was employed. Every driver got their own. I still carry one in my coach which has the important, often questioned, rules high lighted.

So we will be weighing Sean (Seangie)'s Eagle tomorrow. Anyone placing bets on his weight? Single Axle 10S. Sean's been eating a lot lately, so if he's the one driving onto the scales, count that in too

And I know this has been discussed before, but if our coach tips the scales at around 33,000 lbs, (MCI 9) can we legally chain our tags in the lifted position? Not asking about driving characteristics or braking performance, etc, I am aware of those variables, just for my own thought process, just wanted to know if it was legal for me to drive with my tags chained.

If you aren't over the federal limit for axle weight you should be legal. I had to chain up one wheel on my tag axle once to get home. Based on previously weighing each wheel I was transferring about 3,000 to 3,500 lbs to the drive axle. I inflated the drive axle tires on that side to max and only filled the fuel tank half way to save on weight. (Fuel tank directly in front of drive axle.)

The only time you are considered commercial is if you're carrying anything you can make money from. Computer doesn't count. Like rodeo people carrying their horses to the rodeo where they could win a purse. Or pulling a race car where you could win money. Take the money factor out, and it turns into a hobby. Good Luck, TomC

The problem is now the entertainers are running on RV plates we just got back from the KS rally and they were pulling over bus type and motorhome RV's outside Guymon Ok and Dalhart Tex we went through both checks points following the signs it said all RV's must exit I think the best is yet to come